Despite rising price tags, large trucks on pace to become second-best selling vehicle segment of 2017                                                                                                    

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — October 12, 2017 — Large trucks are becoming just as common in the school drop-off line as they are at the jobsite, according to new data from Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform. Full-size trucks are on pace to become the second-best selling vehicle segment in the U.S. in 2017 and achieve the segment’s highest market share since 2007.

Edmunds analysts say this increase in popularity is due in part to the fact that it’s now easier to use a truck as a daily driver. So far in 2017, crew cabs (trucks that offer four full-size doors and a full back seat), now comprise 74.4 percent of all retail truck registrations, up from 63.7 percent five years ago.

“Shoppers used to just see trucks as a either a work vehicle or a second vehicle used primarily for towing and chores,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds senior manager of industry analysis. “But trucks now have many of the same creature comforts as SUVs, but with added utility. For a growing family looking for a single vehicle that can serve all of their needs, a full-size truck has now become an attractive choice.”

However, the all-in-one amenities of a full-size truck don’t come cheap; so far in 2017 the average transaction price of a full-size truck is $47,250, up 24.5 percent from just five years ago. To help ease the strain on their wallets, truck buyers are now turning to a familiar solution for shoppers who want more car for their money - leasing. While still far below the industry average, the lease penetration rate for full-size trucks is 16.7 percent so far in 2017 - nearly three times the rate it was just five years ago (5.6 percent).

“While it remains to be seen how much demand there will be for a truck that pushes six figures, there’s no question truck buyers are ready and willing to spend more to get what they want. And for automakers who have strong truck offerings in their portfolios, this shift in consumer preference is a great opportunity, since truck buyers are the most loyal in the industry,” Drury said. “More than 55 percent of large truck buyers trade their vehicle in for another vehicle from the same brand, which is more than 17 percentage points higher than industry average.”

Edmunds can shopping experts say October is one of the best times of year to find a bargain on a new truck, as many automakers offer special deals on outgoing 2017 models as part of larger “truck month” promotions. Chevrolet, GMC, Nissan and RAM are all advertising zero-percent financing offers on select models, along with varying amounts of bonus cash.

More insight into recent auto industry trends can be found in the Edmunds Industry Center at http://www.edmunds.com/industry-center/.

About Edmunds
Edmunds is the leading car information and shopping platform, helping millions of visitors each month find their perfect car. With products such as Edmunds Your Price, Your Lease and Used+, shoppers can buy smarter with instant, upfront prices for cars and trucks currently for sale at more than 13,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Edmunds’ in-house team of unbiased car-shopping experts provide industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips, as well as welcome all car-shopping questions to the free Shopper Advice line at 1-855-782-4711, via email at help@edmunds.com, via text at ED411 and on Twitter and Facebook. The company is regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work. Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Michigan.

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Fastlane, the recently launched e-commerce platform for car dealers, has chosen Market Scan as their financial data supplier. Fastlane offers dealers an Amazon-like checkout process for consumers who wish to buy their car online. Savvy dealers are gravitating toward Fastlane because of its flexibility, customizability and ease of use. Toward that end, Fastlane has chosen Market Scan to provide real-time payment and rebate information tracked from every car manufacturer, bank and credit union in the country.
 
“The payment transaction is clearly one of the most important aspects of the online car buying checkout process, and we wanted to partner with a highly trusted and reliable data supplier who would give our customers accurate lease and retail payment information,” said Dave Luce, Fastlane’s Vice President of Sales. “We looked at other data providers in this space and we believe Market Scan fits the bill perfectly.”

 

 
“Market Scan gives car dealers and consumers real-time information needed for the sales transaction,” said Rusty West, Market Scan’s President and Co-Founder. “Our data is penny-certain and extremely comprehensive. We track every parameter, policy and factor that can impact an automotive transaction —and we do it for every vehicle sold in the United States. This includes lender policies and rules, rates, residual values, manufacturer rebates and incentives, even tax and DMV calculations. This information is updated daily, which is imperative for creating a superb online car buying experience.”
 
Fastlane’s platform enables car buyers to purchase a vehicle directly from the car dealer’s website and gives them an easy Amazon-like checkout experience. The platform handles nearly all the tasks associated with the purchase process: Year, make, model, specifications and price information on each vehicle, warranty and service contract options, aftermarket product options, trade-in evaluations and accurate retail and lease payment information.
 
Dealers have been very pleased that Fastlane is much more than a cookie-cutter solution. The car-buying experience is customized to meet each dealer’s unique branding, messaging and sales needs. “We built Fastlane knowing that the online car-buying process typically differs from dealer to dealer and from region to region,” said Brandon Hall, Fastlane’s CEO. “Our technical teams work closely with each dealer to determine how their online car buying experience should work. Then we configure it to their satisfaction. It’s a win-win that makes online purchasing easy for dealers and their customers. Because of our partnership with Market Scan, dealers can be assured that pricing information will be spot on.”
 
The Market Scan team is very pleased to partner with Fastlane,” said West. “This new company is clearly—and quickly—going to have a significant impact on the way car dealers bring their inventory to the online car-buying world and we’re proud that Fastlane considers us to be a valuable part of their growing success.”
 
About Fastlane
Fastlane, with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, is a developer of innovative e-commerce and showroom technologies for automotive dealerships. Fastlane creates value for dealers by providing them with an online checkout experience and enhancing dealer’s in-store purchase experience, giving them the power to sell more cars, be more profitable and increase overall customer satisfaction. By offering Fastlane’s turnkey purchasing solution, dealers give customers a convenient way to complete the purchase transaction while the sales team focuses on engaging with customers and building long-term relationships that last well after the car is purchased.
 
Fastlane’s technical integration team, based in Dallas, Texas, customizes the Fastlane e-commerce platform to meet the specific and unique needs of individual dealerships and dealer groups.
 
For more information about Fastlane, please visit their website, www.fastlane.car and their online newsroom, www.newsline360.com/fastlane. Contact Fastlane at sales@fastlane.car.
 
About Market Scan 
Market Scan Information Systems, Inc. is a software firm and data aggregation company, founded in 1988, that tracks nearly every automotive lender in the U.S. (lease and retail finance, new and used vehicles) and all their programs, variables, parameters, policies, factors and rules; plus all OEM rebate and incentive programs –anything that can impact an automotive transaction. Additionally, Market Scan tracks all taxation–rates, methodologies and calculations–plus DMV calculations, and how they apply to every lease and finance structure, anywhere in the United States.
 
Through Market Scan’s mScanAPI, the company now powers many of the industry’s most important companies and, working with companies like Fastlane,  is changing how automobiles are sold. 
 

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Media Contact:
Kurman Communications, Inc.
Cindy Kurman or Lee Barrie
312-651-9000 Office
312-543-3928 Mobile
team@kurman.com

VIN-View Optimizer Brings New Level of Transparency to Dealers in Key Markets

CHICAGO, October 05, 2017 -- LotLinx, the industry’s #1 Automotive AI, today announced its expansion to Canada, launching December 1.  LotLinx will offer it’s highly awarded TURN™ platform including the VIN-View Optimizer® (VVO) to dealers across Canada.  The company will launch by invitation-only, collaborating initially with Canada’s largest and most influential dealership groups.

This effort brings a model of transparent digital marketing never before seen by the Canadian market. LotLinx Automotive AI technology targets and scores shoppers, based on their search behavior, and delivers them to conversion-optimized Vehicle Display Pages (VDP). And their VVO tool is a powerful new way for dealers to measure success and optimize campaign performance in real time. Via this expansion, dealers in Canada will finally be able to laser focus their omni-channel marketing efforts while gaining valuable insights on ROI.

Kijiji, Canada’s largest automotive website, is the first Canadian online marketplace to embrace this new level of transparency for the industry. Leanne Kripp, Head of Autos at Kijiji, is eager for dealers on her site to tap into the LotLinx VIN-level marketing tools to help identify where the best advertising ROI is being delivered.

“Our customers have been looking for new, targeted technology that better tracks the online buying and search habits of today’s consumer,” says Kripp. “With LotLinx coming to Canada, dealers will possess a new toolkit that provides deeper insights and greater transparency than they’ve ever had to help them spend smarter and focus investment on those media channels that provide the most value. I believe dealers across Kijiji will appreciate this clearer, real-time view into their marketing performance and how well their investments are being spent.”

LotLinx will initiate outreach to dealers in key Canadian markets such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, Edmonton, Calgary and others beginning in mid-October.

“We’ve been hearing pleas from up north about the need for alternatives to the digital tools currently available.” Said Len Short, Founder of LotLinx. “As our dealers here know, we strongly believe in the importance of transparency. We’re excited to bring Canadian dealers these same data-driven solutions to them to better utilize their marketing spend. Most of our AI technology has been developed from our Canadian offices, so this is something of a homecoming for us.”

LotLinx continues to enhance its all-in-one shopper targeting capabilities, a platform that’s fully unique to the industry. This expansion brings unprecedented marketing technologies and much-needed transparency to the Canadian automotive space. For more visit www.lotlinx.com.

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About LotLinx:
LotLinx is the industry’s #1 Automotive AI dedicated to empowering dealers to turn inventory 78% faster with VIN-Specific digital advertising campaigns that deliver low-funnel shoppers to conversion-optimized VDPs. Founded in 2012, LotLinx works with thousands of dealers around the country to reach over 63 million unique car shoppers per month across more than 500 digital properties, including Facebook.

Cars.com Appoints Darren Haygood as Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy

CHICAGO, September 21, 2017 – Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) is announcing the appointment of Darren Haygood as the company’s senior vice president of commercial strategy, effective September 25, 2017. Haygood most recently served as president and chief operating officer at Transparency AI. Previously, he was executive vice president at Dealer.com.

“Cars.com is focused on creating value for our dealer partners and advertisers with strategy and intelligence that fuels their business,” said Alex Vetter, chief executive officer of Cars.com. “Darren is a recognized thought leader in the automotive industry with nearly 20 years of experience across multiple business channels. His depth of expertise in mobile attribution, automotive insights and intelligence has helped redefine digital marketing investment strategies for retail dealers in the space. We are thrilled to have Darren on our team to help us drive customer-centric innovation in this highly competitive online market”

"For almost 20 years, my career has centered around delivering innovative solutions in automotive that improve the experience for consumers and business results for dealers,” said Haygood. "Cars.com is helping the industry evolve with consumer behavior. I’ve watched as they’ve led the mobile and attribution conversations across the industry. I'm proud and excited to be joining at a time when Cars.com’s innovative products and services are fueling the evolution of the industry and empowering local dealers."

Prior to his roles at Transparency AI and Dealer.com, Haygood was the general manager at the Lokey Nissan dealership in Clearwater, Florida, from 2004-2007. He was also the director of e-commerce at Asbury Automotive Group, one of the largest, publicly traded, top 10 dealer groups in the country, from 2001-2004, and he served as regional marketing director at the Chrysler Corporation from 1997-2001.

Haygood has also served as featured speaker and contributor at automotive industry events in the US and Canada over the past several years.

About Cars.com
Cars.com is a leading online destination that helps car shoppers and owners navigate every turn of car ownership. A pioneer in automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting consumers with local dealers across the country anytime, anywhere. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile app features, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of research tools and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com helps shoppers buy, sell and service their vehicles. Cars.com properties include DealerRater®, Auto.com™, PickupTrucks.com™ and NewCars.com®. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit www.Cars.com.

DENVER (September 19, 2017) – Adtaxi, a leading digital marketing agency, today released an in-depth report on the state of automotive digital marketing. Titled Increasing the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Your Dealership’s Digital Marketing, the report highlights key challenges facing the industry today as well as proposed solutions for conquering those challenges and achieving sales goals.

According to the report, car sales are expected to be down this year from the record-breaking numbers in 2016. In addition, data indicate that 80% of consumers now aim to learn as much as they can online, visiting dealerships only to confirm their decision or complete paperwork. With a customer base that is opting to shop for cars on the internet rather than making decisions at their local dealership, it is crucial for dealers to find ways of reaching their customers across digital platforms, adapting to the ever-changing technological landscape.

“Digital marketing technologies and campaign management best practices are rapidly evolving as competition in the marketplace increases,” said Brian Kroll, Adtaxi’s VP of Sales and Strategic Accounts. “Combined with this year’s decrease in car sales, these factors present distinct challenges for dealerships. However, if sellers implement new, cutting-edge digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve, they can confront these obstacles, leveraging insights to improve targeting and achieve the desired results.”

Identified in the report, the three main hurdles that dealers must overcome are:

1. Identifying the dealership’s ideal audience
2. Identifying which digital channels offer the best ROI
3. Optimizing overall campaign performance using data across all campaigns

According to Adtaxi, omnichannel marketing lies at the heart of the solution. By utilizing technologies that analyze campaign performance in real-time and reallocate marketing dollars to the highest performing platform, regardless of channel, dealerships can gain an edge on the competition.

“The opportunity for a dealer to interact with their core audience is only limited by their ability to see where their audience is most reachable and susceptible to messaging online,” said Joel Sesco, National Director of Automotive with Adtaxi. “With omnichannel capabilities, a dealer is able to more precisely target the best high-value consumers, where they are – online and in the decision-making process – and in a way that will most effectively resonate with them, in order to provide the highest possible ROI.”

About Adtaxi 
Founded in 2010 within Digital First Media, Adtaxi made its mark in programmatic advertising before expanding into search, social, email and native. Over time, Adtaxi has refined and perfected its conversions-based approach, which became the foundation of the Magellan optimization technology launched in 2015. Adtaxi functions as a true partner with its clients, acting as a single point of contact and support through multi-platform campaign cycles. Find Adtaxi on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.